Oakleys Grill And Pizzeria - All Pizza Perfect In Skipton

I must admit, I had never heard of Oakleys Grill and Pizzeria in Skipton until it was recommended to me.

“If you are going to Skipton and want good Fish and Chips you go to Bizzie Lizzie’s, if you want a good pizza then try Oakleys” it was suggested to me.

It is not the easiest place to find being up the side of Albert Street. You would not think that the Leeds-Liverpool canal was a few minutes walk away or the centre of Skipton just steps away. Based over 3 floors there is plenty of space to social distance - though if you dine upstairs, where most of the tables are - you need to be fairly nimble to negotiate the small staircase, bearing in mind that the restaurant is housed in an old mill.

From what I can see they have a faithful following with a loyalty card scheme too, which rewards frequent visits.

Small blackboards hang from the stone walls mostly tempting you with the desserts and the homemade cheesecake, which appears to a popular choice.

The menu, as you might expect, is pizza, pasta, steaks and burgers. Ranging from £9.50 to £12.95 there are at least 14 options to choose from. There seems to be a lot going on in the menu so I decided to stick with what I know they do best. Going to a pizza restaurant and not trying the pizza to me is like going to Venice and not having a Gondala ride.

Pizza it had to be then, though they do say that the Calzones are one of their most popular dishes. My Chilli Beef pizza came on a perfectly baked base with Oakley's tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy ground chilli beef, peppers, onions, Nixon’s cheddar cheese and oregano. A big size too. The chef has been with Oakleys over 10 years and it shows.

It was an unusual combination but one that worked well though you do need a large glass of water to accompany the pizza.

My partner chose the Hawaii on a thinner Romana base. A little simpler than mine, the roasted ham and pineapple was said to be very tasty. However, because it is on a thinner base it tended to loose its heat very quickly. I would suggest a normal thicker base.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating so they say. After all the fanfare about the cheesecake we thought we had better share a piece. We were not disappointed. The McVities Gold made a perfect base with a topping that melted in the mouth.

We visited on a quiet Friday afternoon and the restaurant was just getting ready for the evening, so I can’t comment on what service is like when it is busy.

The early bird menu Monday - Thursday from 5pm to 7pm and on Friday from 12 noon to 5pm is very popular with most dishes at £9.50. Add an appetiser or dessert then the price is £14.95.

The delivery service seems to be as popular as the cheesecake. It feels like a unique restaurant and not part of a chain and of course it is Yorkshire owned too.

Oakleys, 5 Albert Street, Skipton BD23 1JD
Telephone 01756 796216
http://www.oakleys-restaurant.co.uk/